- Who must file a fictitious business name statement
- What the statement must include
- How to file, step by step
- Los Angeles County fees as an example
- The 40-day rule that catches people out
- Renewing before the five years are up
- Changing or ending a fictitious business name
- Is a fictitious business name the same as a DBA?
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
A fictitious business name in California, often called a DBA, is filed as a statement with the county clerk where your main place of business is. You then publish it in a local newspaper once a week for four weeks, and the statement expires five years after filing.
Each county clerk handles these filings under the California Business and Professions Code. This page uses Los Angeles County's fictitious business name pages as the worked example (its requirements, fees and general information), plus Business and Professions Code section 17920, all read in October 2026. Other counties follow the same state law but set their own fees.
Who must file a fictitious business name statement
You need one if you do business for profit under a name that doesn't include your surname. A sole owner trading as Sunset Bakery files; one trading as Garcia's Bakery may not need to. Companies are caught too: an LLC called Smith Ventures LLC that trades as Bright Signs must file for the Bright Signs name. Los Angeles County notes that non-profit corporations, organisations and associations don't need to file.
A filing doesn't give you trademark rights. The county points people to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for that, and my guide to trademarking a business name covers the steps.
What the statement must include
- The business name and the street address of the principal place of business, with its county.
- Every owner and their business mailing address.
- For a company, its address as set out in its formation documents with the Secretary of State, and its state of formation.
- A signature from the right person: the owner, a general partner, a trustee, or a manager or officer of an LLC.
- A notarised Affidavit of Identity form, required in Los Angeles County with every new, refiled or original statement under Senate Bill 1467.
- For corporations, LLCs and limited partnerships, a Secretary of State print-out showing the entity exists and is in good standing.
If your company's details are out of date with the state, fix those first. My Statement of Information guide covers that yearly filing.
How to file, step by step
- Search the county's index to check the name isn't already filed.
- Complete the statement for the county where your principal place of business is. You can also file in other counties once the home county filing is done.
- Attach the notarised identity affidavit and, for an entity, the good standing print-out.
- File and pay the county fee.
- Start newspaper publication within 30 days of filing, under Business and Professions Code section 17917(a).
- Publish once a week for four weeks in a row in a newspaper adjudicated for that county.
- Keep the publisher's proof with your business records.
Los Angeles County fees as an example
| Item | Los Angeles County fee (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| First-time filing, one name and one registrant | $26 |
| Renewal filing, one name and one registrant | $26 |
| Each extra name or registrant | $5 |
| Certified copy of a search, if found | $2 per document |
| Online identity and card processing, if chosen | $10.75 per transaction |
Newspaper publication is charged separately by the newspaper. Other counties set their own clerk fees, so check your county's page before filing.
The 40-day rule that catches people out
Here's the part most owners miss. Section 17920 says a statement expires five years after filing, but it also expires 40 days after any change in the facts it sets out. Add a partner, change the address or switch from a sole owner to an LLC, and the old statement lapses on day 40. You'd then need a new statement and a new round of publication. The statement also ends if you file a statement of abandonment.
Renewing before the five years are up
Put the expiry date in your diary when you file. Los Angeles County charges the same $26 for a renewal as for a first filing, as of October 2026. If nothing in the statement has changed, renewing in time keeps the name continuous with your bank and suppliers.
Changing or ending a fictitious business name
If you trade in several counties, remember the home county comes first. Los Angeles County says a statement may be filed in other counties only once the requirements in the county of the principal place of business are met. Each county then runs its own publication rules.
Los Angeles County's filing pages include separate routes to file a withdrawal and to file an abandonment. Under section 17920, filing a statement of abandonment ends the statement, so abandoning a name you no longer use stops the old filing from showing you as its owner. If you're starting fresh with new owners, file the abandonment and a new statement together so the name has no gap.
Florida's fictitious name registration is a separate system, covered in our Florida DBA guide.
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Is a fictitious business name the same as a DBA?
Yes. California calls it a fictitious business name, while most states and banks say DBA, short for doing business as. My DBA registration guide explains how other states handle it.
My verdict
Filing a fictitious business name in California is cheap and quick at the county counter, but it's not finished until four weeks of newspaper notices have run. The rule to remember is the 40-day lapse after any change in the facts. Any change of owners or address means a fresh filing, so update it the same month.
Other states run this differently, and the Texas DBA guide shows how Texas uses an assumed name certificate filed with the county clerk or the Secretary of State.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a fictitious business name in California?
With the county clerk in the county where your principal place of business is. You can also file in other counties once that filing is done.
How long does a California fictitious business name last?
Five years from filing, unless the facts change, in which case it expires 40 days after the change, or you file an abandonment.
Is newspaper publication required for a fictitious business name?
Yes. In Los Angeles County the filed statement must be published once a week for four weeks in a row in an adjudicated newspaper, starting within 30 days of filing.
How much does a fictitious business name cost in Los Angeles County?
The filing fee is $26 for one name and one registrant, plus $5 for each extra name or registrant, as of October 2026. Newspaper publication costs extra.
Does an LLC need a fictitious business name in California?
Yes, if it trades under a name different from its registered name. It must also include a Secretary of State good standing print-out.
